To view this site you need Adobe Flash Player and your browser must allow javaScripts. Go here to get the latest Flash Player. Arms Arms and the woman Lisa Parsons-Wraith Shotguns For Home Defense: The Perfect Gun For Women ome-defense guns are a matter on my experience selling firearms, provid- experience, the best firearm for home of personal taste. Some women ing trapshooting instruction to men, women defense is one that is used on a regular like a nightstand gun that is eas- and teenagers, and directing these women- basis. For McLelland-Merydith, that is a ily concealed and can be carried outside only clinics,” McLelland-Merydith said. 12-gauge shotgun used for trapshooting. of the home. McLelland-Merydith says she has sold “I know if I had to use my shotgun in But while it’s much easier to keep a more than $230,000 worth of shotguns in self-defense, I would have no problem handgun out of sight, there’s a case to be a two-year period, and she has also sold hitting and stopping the offender — for made that the shotgun is the ultimate in many pistols, revolvers and rifles. In her example, responding to a home-invasion home-defense guns. Some excrime — a goal harder to acperts claim that the simple act complish with a pistol, revolver of chambering a round in a or rifle,” she said. “I recommend shotgun — and staring down its 12- and 20-gauge pump-action long barrel — can be a powerful shotguns for home protection, deterrent to would-be criminals as the highly recognized sound and home invaders. of the pump action may be all National Rifle Association the invader needs to influence Women On Target Clinic direchim to leave. I recommend a tor Patricia McLelland-Merydith barrel length of between 18 1/2 has a lot of experience with shotand 21".” guns. She works the gun counter McLelland-Merydith also in the hunting division of Sportspointed out that shotguns with man’s Warehouse in Rocklin, interchangeable chokes offer an Calif., and is a competitive advantage to a woman with less trap shooter, trap instructor and confidence because she can use a Women on Target instructor. choke to produce a wider pattern, Patricia McLelland-Merydith continues the hunting tradition by intro“My assessment of the cor- ducing her 3-year-old granddaughter, Adelle Mareé Domenici, to making it more likely she will hit rect self-defense firearm is based turkey hunting. her target. H Consider Shotgun Price Points A ccording to McLelland-Merydith, there are many other reasons shotguns are good defense guns for women. “The woman may be raising a family and have limited time,” she said. “She may not have time to obtain a handgun-safety certificate or a concealed-carry license, but many hometowns have trapshooting clubs where she can obtain help without becoming a member of the club.” Financial considerations also make shotguns a good home-defense option. McLelland-Merydith pointed out that many women have limited income, and shotguns and shells can be much less expensive over time than handguns. “To compare and contrast, she can pay as little as $299 for a Remington 870 Express pump-action 12- or 20-gauge shotgun, and $6 for 25 12-gauge shells. I’d recommend light number 8 shot, 2 3/4, 1 oz. loads for women,” McLellandMerydith said. “Or she can pay as little as $349 to $400 for a Taurus .38 Special revolver, paying $15 to $24 per box of 50 for the bullets.” McLelland-Merydith says it’s simple: If a shooter pays $1,000 her first year of shooting, she can either purchase a 12-gauge shotgun and practice almost 3,000 shots at moving targets, or she can pay $360 to $1,000 for a handgun and not enjoy as much shooting. “Besides, if she can hit a 4-inch target flying away at 45 miles per hour in a matter of one second, she will have much more confidence than shooting a paper target at which she has taken careful aim for several seconds,” she said. McLelland-Merydith displays her many trapshooting awards. 22 JULY 2009 Read SI DIGITAL www.shootingindustry.com